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Kensington Primary School Newsletter Kensington Primary School Newsletter
17th December 2015 McCracken Street Kensington Vic 3031
Phone: (03) 9376 6013 Fax (03) 9376 4574 www.kensingtonps.vic.edu.au E-mail: [email protected]
Care Program: (03) 9376 9848
Principal: Mark Ryan Assistant Principal: Julie Stephens
Did you know??
Principals Report
Upcoming Events
Contents Upcoming Events 1 Principal’s Report 2 Student Welfare 6 Grade 6 News 7 Plantmania 7 Community News 9
Tomorrow is the last day of term and it will be a casual clothes day for a gold coin donation. Funds raised will go to State School Relief. School will finish at 1.30pm after our final assembly at 1.00pm.
Farewell
As we come nearer to the end of 2015 we say farewell to a number of families who will be
leaving Kensington Primary school after many, many years. We will miss you and your
major contributions in making KPS such a great school. Thank you for the working bees,
your involvement in the grades, going on excursions, joining various committees, helping
with the fetes, school council and so much more. It is because of your involvement at the
school that Kensington Primary has grown and grown in so many ways-all for the better.
Thank you for all your support, can-do attitude and tireless efforts. The school is thriving
and it is a wonderful place to be.
DATE TIME EVENT
December Fri 18th 1.00pm 1.30pm
End of Year Assembly END OF TERM
January Tues 26th
Australia Day
Wed 27th
11.30- 1.30pm Uniform shop open Pupil Free Day – No school
Thur 28th
8.50am Term 1 begins. Grade 1 – 6 students return to school Prep Information Sessions throughout the day
Frid 29th
8.50am Preps start school
February Wed 3rd
Prep Assessments
Wed 10th
Prep Assessments
Wed 17th
Prep Assessments
Wed 24th
Prep Assessments
Mon29th Preps Attended school fulltime
March Mon 7th
Labour Day – No School
Thur 10th
Parent Bounce Back Info Night
Frid 18th
Harmony Picnic
Thur 24th
End of Term 1 – School Finishes at 2.30pm
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Kensington Primary School Newsletter
Good luck to the grade 6 children as they head off to high school. We know they
will do well and continue to achieve. This group of students have been a wonderful
bunch of kids. Any time I have asked for any help they have readily assisted and
done so with a smile. I will miss them and hopefully they will all pop in some time
in the near future for a catch up.
Changes to the Care Programme at Kensington Primary School
Dear Parent/s
The Care Programme at Kensington Primary School developed out of the need to provide out of hours and vacation care
for School families. The programme has been successfully operated by the School over the last 16 years and its strength
has always been the quality of the care provided, the friendly and engaging staff and the perceived value for money of
the programme.
The number of students now utilising the KPS Care Programme has grown exponentially over the past few years to the
point where, on some afternoons, there are over 100 students in care. The success of the programme is in no small
measure due to the enormous administrative support provided by the School.
Earlier in the year, a number of key staff advised the School that they would be leaving the KPS Care Programme at the
end of the year to seek employment as teachers or as supervisors elsewhere in the education sector. The School
advertised for a manager for the Care Programme but unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in finding a suitably
qualified candidate.
The School Council has agreed that, without a suitable candidate to run the Care Programme, the only option was to
examine outsourcing the Care Programme to an external provider. This decision was not an easy one and was only done
with a number of criteria in place. These included:
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Kensington Primary School Newsletter
The child care provided would be equal to or better than currently provided
The same hours as currently are currently in place would be maintained or expanded
There would be NO increase in fees in 2016, above the current scheduled increase of $1 per session (with
indexed increases from 2017)
Current staff would be retained
The new provider would endeavour to maintain the spirit of the existing programme
The Council undertook due diligence and sought proposals from three providers, two of whom made presentations to
members of the School Council as well as members of staff including Principal Mark Ryan, Deputy Principal Julie
Stephens and Business Manager Patricia Santalucia.
After an exhaustive selection process, the School Council has made the decision to engage the services of OSHClub to
run the School’s Care Programme. OSHClub has been in operation for over 12 years and runs 240 programmes across
the country.
OSHClub meet all of the above criteria and provide the best all round options moving forward. OSHClub will be initially
contracted for a 12 month period, with a contract extension possible after a comprehensive review of their operations.
OSHClub will be providing a comprehensive information session early in the New Year and all Kensington Primary School
parents will be invited to attend.
If you have any questions or would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me at via the School
Kind regards
Stewart Brook
President - Kensington Primary School Council
Morning Tea
It was a great turnout for the Canteen morning tea after Monday’s assembly. It was fabulous to see so many parents come
along and enjoy the food and have a lovely chat with each other and the ladies from the canteen. Congratulations to
Halima and her team for their hard work. They do a great job providing food and of course the other big job of sending
shipping containers to Somalia to help the orphans, schools and the hospitals. One lot of containers became a school and
it contained lots of school equipment. The last container that our children painted up was filled with hospital equipment. It
is wonderful to be involved.
A Busy Year has quickly passed
Opening of the verandah- a grand occasion-keeping the HOF cool
Opening of the Kensington Town Hall-all dressed up and a great performance
Great movie making with green screen and ipads
Sending containers to Somalia-well done Halima
Strings group growing and playing beautifully – Thanks Edwina
Netball kids-excellent numbers-growing and growing
Instrumental Music Concert-lots of people came to hear
Lots of visits to the Arts Centre-providing voices for a play
The Whole School Performance-Let’s Dance-Thanks Ash - you were great
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Kensington Primary School Newsletter
Student Representative Council-giving the kids a say
Camps 3/ 4 and 5/6’s –great experiences -great challenges
Sports of all sorts-great stuff Nuccia
The Big Cook Off
Kensington Idol-such talented kids-Thanks Kay
Tournament of the Minds-Thank you Luba
The Winter Solstice –plenty of food and fire
Grade 1/ 2 Dance Sugar Plum Fairy –massed dance-simply amazing-Well
done Brooke
Grade 5/6 monologues- enchanting Buddy grades
Vic Cricket program
Fire Education-Firefighters meet the preps
BugBlitz- some 3/4’s went on a bug finding mission
Choirs-lots and lots of choristers-singing in the community
Rock band-keep rocking-Thanks Andrew and Louise
Juventus Soccer Club –soccer training from overseas guests
Athletics training-reaching great heights
5/6’s excursion to Werribee Zoo-some say the best
Skipping at Lunchtime-getting fit-having fun
SEPEP sports competition amongst the grade 5/6 s
Family Life-grade 5/ 6’s- a great program
Education Week activities- performances and incursions and Open Day
Greenies and Grubbies gardening group-look after those chickens
Sustainability group-Greening the school and recycling-Thanks Kate
Science Fairs
Eisteddfods-Early Bird magic-Thanks Sally and Brooke
Instrumental Music program-well over 100 children involved
Celebrations in programs-Eid , Chinese New Year, Diwali etc-looking at how different
cultures celebrate.
Class Meetings-discussing issues- giving children a voice
Harmony Picnic-whole school celebration-foods from many cultures etc
Cooking with Kay-grow your food and cook it
Bounceback- Social Skills Values and Resilience program-Thanks Melissa
Transition Programs-preschool to Prep, grade 6’s to Secondary schooling and through
school transitions-kinder visits and secondary school visits-Thanks Fiona and Danni
LOTE-Indonesian-across school-Thanks Uli
Bread making-early morning chats and a bit of breaky-great way to start the day
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Kensington Primary School Newsletter
Partnership with the Nth Melbourne FC (the Huddle) – Thanks Stuart
Swimming Programs-whole school, squad and learner swimmers- and competition
Tuesday Homework Club-Hotham Mission-big numbers lots of helpers
Visits to the Venny- a great place
Whole school performances-grade performances at assembly
Buddies program- fostering friendships from different grade levels
Camping Program-grades 3/ 4 and 5/ 6-Thanks Luba and Kim
New Friend Friday – Well done Danni
Excursions-Incursions-out and about
Perceptual Motor Program for younger students-Thanks big kids for helping
Hall activities program-lunch times
Monday Maths- lunch times
Canteen cooking-maths and science with cooking
Interschool and other Team sports
Arts program-art ,art everywhere-Thanks Linda for all the displays
Somers Camp for older children
Police Camp
Special Days/Weeks-Science, Maths, Arts, Tabloid Sports, Athletics
Soccer Championships –girls and boys-did well again
Have a lovely Christmas and a restful holiday
Mark Ryan
Principal
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Bounce Back
Bounce Back – Resilience for the Summer holidays
As we wind down to the end of the year (or reach a crescendo!) it is a good time to keep some of the tools of resilience
in our minds. It is an exciting time of the year for many of us – holidays, presents, celebrating with family and friends,
but it can also be a very difficult time. Financial pressures, relationship and family stress and changes in routines can
lead to conflict. For families who have separated or who have experienced the loss of a family member or other difficult
events during the year, celebrations such as Christmas can be hard to manage. Sibling relationships can often be a
challenge during holiday periods and we need some strategies to work toward a school holiday break that works well
for all members of the family.
Using the skills of Bounce back and emotion coaching can help. Tuning in to other people’s feelings while recognizing
and regulating our own is a key skill at this time of year. We can learn to notice how we feel by recognizing physical
changes, such as muscle tension, shallow breathing or a tone of voice that occur with certain feelings; recognizing the
types of thoughts we have when experiencing certain feelings; and noticing our behaviour. To regulate feelings, we can
use our breath, move our bodies or take a break from the situation. Once our feelings are regulated we can more
compassionately respond to the feelings of others.
Helpful thinking is also a key skill. Thinking about others and ourselves in a positive light and letting go of thoughts that
act as triggers support our coping skills. Try not to catastrophise. Keep things in perspective and expectations realistic.
Allow others to help and accept that there are some things that you just can’t change. It can also be helpful to plan
some time and / or a place where adults and children can get away from all the activity and reflect on their feelings. And
of course, seeing the funny side of things is often what gets all of us through!
Children will have many opportunities to practice their resilience skills too. For example, taking on greater levels of
responsibility for organizing and preparing for family occasions, caring for and thinking about the needs of others,
concentrating on the good things that are coming their way (even if they can’t have exactly what they want for
Christmas presents!), being supported to resolve conflicts with their siblings themselves using negotiation and many
more.
I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday time and I look forward to the renewed energy and hope that a new year
brings.
Melissa Martin, Wellbeing Officer.
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Grade 6 News
Homework Club Changes for 2016
Uniting Care Hotham Mission, who have delivered the free homework club out of the school library, will no longer be
delivering the program in 2016.
In it's place they have developed a new program - the Kensington Mess Club, a free transition support program for
kids who would like support with their formal academic learning and their transition into high school.
It will run on a Thursday afternoon from 4-5.30pm at the Kensington YMCA and will be open for students
in grades 6-8.
It will focus on student-driven project-based learning designed to celebrate different learning styles including art,
graphics, circuitry, woodwork, cooking and study.
For more information please contact Hotham Mission program manager, Beth Stewart-Wright on
[email protected] or call on 0499 331 554
What is the Kensington Mess Club?
Kensington Mess Club is a remodel of the existing Homework Clubs which UCHM has previously delivered out of
Kensington Primary School and the Kensington public housing estate. It is a program specifically focussed on
empowerment-based learning and development for young people in grades 6-8 who may experience difficulty adjusting
to the transition into high school, and who struggle to connect with formalised education processes. Many of the
students we are aiming to work with come from CALD backgrounds where language may be a barrier, as well of from
disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds.
At Mess Club we aim to create a safe environment for students to make, play, study and relax in a space that promotes
positive reinforcement, structure, encouragement and support for different learning styles, while at the same time
enable them to build stronger connections with schoolwork, community, their peers, and establish positive adult
attachment figures.
The program will be piloted for students in grades 6-8 to play and make and work on their own term-long “Major
Projects” – the nature and focus of which is to be decided by them with gentle guidance and encouragement from our
volunteers.
For the volunteer support staff at Mess Club, our primary concern is the cognitive and social-behavioural development
of our students, all the while facilitating and assisting the students as they work on their Major Projects for the term.
Major Projects are a ways for students to build confidence in their skills and creativity as well as safe attachment figures
with facilitators. The control and freedom that students have over their own time aims to directly counteract what may
otherwise be an unpredictable and tumultuous time of their lives.
Our volunteers are required to regularly communicate in ways which we can best enhance students learning and play,
as well as identify and address signs of at-risk behaviour. Strongly influenced by the trauma-informed frameworks
employed at The Venny in Kensington, with whom we hope to share a fence and a program connection, Mess Club aims
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Plantmania
to be a form of cognitive behavioural therapy for students undergoing the transition from Primary to Secondary school
and beyond.1
Structure of Our Program
The Kensington Mess Club is proposed to run on a Thursday afternoon out of the multipurpose space at the Kensington
YMCA for students making (or have recently made but may be struggling with) the transition from Primary to Secondary
school - i.e., students in grades 6, 7 and 8).
The program will begin in Term 1, 2016 and will run from 4-5.45pm and will be free of charge for participants. The
program is also being carefully planned so as to coordinate with the Venny whereby it is delivered on the same night as
their Dinner Night program, whereby the attending kids can transfer across and ensure they are getting a proper,
healthy meal, and therein addressing some of the issues related to food insecurity.
Mess Club is a response to the urgent need for practical intervention approaches targeting young people at risk. Kids
who attend Mess Club will primarily be enrolled via a referral system that targets students at risk of disengaging from
their academic or social lives during the transition to high school. Students with learning difficulties, behavioural
concerns or early and ongoing experiences of trauma are encouraged to attend and see if the program is for them.
Whilst our target demographic are those students who risk falling through the cracks during this transition, everyone,
no matter what their experiences or needs are, is welcome at Mess Club.
Call out to all KPS families and teachers who know how to use a hose!
The holidays will soon be here and we are setting up a roster to ensure our veggies thrive over the break. If you will be
around at any stage and could give a little time for watering please email me with your availability and contact details
before 10th December.
The children have enjoyed planting their summer crops of tomatoes, beans, pumpkins, zucchinis, sunflowers (just to
name a few) and it would be lovely to come back to a lush garden and bountiful harvest at the start of next year.
If you think you can help, please put your hand up.
Thanks in anticipation.
Also, a big
THANK YOU
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Kensington Primary School Newsletter
to those parents who have been helping with the watering this term. It has made a remarkable difference having extra
hands on the job. I hope you have enjoyed it and would like to continue in first term next year. It is rewarding to see
the mature plants producing fruit after the holidays.
Opportunity to care for KPS chickens
during the summer holidays
We would like to offer the opportunity for interested families to volunteer to care for the chickens again this year during
the summer holidays. This is not a very onerous job and ideally each family might care for the chickens for a week,
however this is flexible depending on demand. The children have all been incredibly enthusiastic during the Wednesday
cooking and gardening sessions and I’m sure our volunteer families will get just as much pleasure.
The chickens would remain in their current housing at school but you would be required to:
check on them and collect (and keep) the eggs,
change their water (twice a week) and top up their food and
feed them your kitchen scraps.
This can be done any time of the day that suits. They would need attending to every second day, but every day is fine if
you want to spoil them.
You will be well supported with an instruction lesson before the end of term. We will also ensure there is a Grubbies
member available as a contact if you have any questions or concerns during your time caring for the chickens.
If you think you might be interested or know you are interested then send me an email/text with your contact details at
0417 237 497
If you only have certain times you are available in the holidays then please feel free to let me know these dates.
Thanks,
Sharyn Olive
Lost Swimming Items
There are a number of lost swimming things in the office which were brought back from the pool during
the last couple of weeks. If your child has lost their towel, bathers, goggles or other items please come
and talk to our office staff. Many thanks
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Community News
Department of Education & Kensington Primary School do not endorse the products or services of any private advertiser. No
responsibility is accepted by the Department of Education or Kensington.
HOLIDAY FUN AT KENSINGTON
COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTRE
We have an exciting Active Melbourne Sports Clinic for the Summer school holidays, to keep your kids entertained. The program will run from 11th to 22nd January and each session costs only $10. Activities range from soccer, AFL, tennis, Dance (new for 2016) and Aqua fun days. Visit the website to find out more.
Over the holidays, why not join our new BMX/Scoot/Skate clinics aimed at 6-12 year olds, to learn safety, skills & tricks on each piece of equipment. There will be 4 clinics available between 11th and 22nd January. Visit the School Holiday Activities section of the website for further information and enrolment details.
Our intensive Holiday Swimming Lesson Program will take place from Monday 18th to Friday 22nd January 2016. Classes will be 30 minutes duration and will be held between 1:00pm and 3:00pm. Contact the Centre to find out more information and to enrol your child.
Visit our website to find out more (http://www.kensington.ymca.org.au/participate/school-holiday-
program.html) or call the centre on 9376 1633.
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Come join in our Christmas play …
Christmas Eve
Thursday 24 December
at 5.30 pm
Christ Church Anglican & Uniting
76 McCracken Street Kensington
A family celebration of the birth of Jesus
with carols and a part in the play for all
(costumes provided)
You are also invited to join us
for a service of readings and carols on
Christmas Day at 10 am
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Kensington Carols
It’s that time of year again.
Please come down with your picnic dinner to the Women’s peace Garden
for this wonderful Community Tradition on Friday 18th December
Carols begin around 8 pm
Candles for sale, all proceeds go to the Smith Family
We do ask that everyone respect the gardens by supervising their children.
.
